Fiverr vs Upwork 2026: Where to Hire Someone to Build Your WordPress Site
Don’t want to build your WordPress site yourself? Fiverr and Upwork are the two biggest places to hire a freelancer for it — but they work very differently. In this Fiverr vs Upwork comparison we look at what you actually pay (including the platform fees most guides skip), how hiring works on each, and which one fits a small WordPress project.
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Short answer: choose Fiverr for small, clearly defined jobs where you want a fixed price up front — installing a theme, building a landing page, fixing a bug. Choose Upwork when the project is bigger or less defined and you want freelancers to send proposals, so you can interview them and agree on the scope first. On a typical $300 site build, the platform fee works out about the same on both.
Fiverr vs Upwork at a Glance
| Fiverr | Upwork | |
|---|---|---|
| How you hire | Buy a ready-made “gig” package (or a custom offer) | Post a job, receive proposals, interview, then hire |
| Pricing model | Fixed price per package; gigs start at $5 | Hourly or fixed-price with milestones |
| Fee you pay as the client | 5.5% of the order + $3.50 on orders under $200 | 3–5% marketplace fee (Basic plan) + a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99 |
| Typical WordPress price | About $238 per WordPress development job (Fiverr’s own average) | $15–$28/hour; simple site $300–$1,000 (Upwork’s own guide) |
| Best for | Small, well-defined tasks with a known price | Larger or custom builds and ongoing work |
Fees and prices from Fiverr’s Help Center and WordPress category page, and Upwork’s pricing guide, Help Center and WordPress hiring page, checked 28 October 2026. Platform averages are what each marketplace publishes, not quotes — your project may cost more or less.
What You Actually Pay: Platform Fees
Both marketplaces add a fee on top of what the freelancer charges. It shows at checkout, so nothing is hidden — but it’s easy to leave out of a budget.
Fiverr fees for buyers
Fiverr adds a service fee of 5.5% of your purchase amount, plus $3.50 for orders under $200. You see it at checkout before you confirm payment. Gig prices are set in US dollars, and the minimum gig price is $5.
Upwork fees for clients
Upwork charges clients a marketplace fee of 3% or 5% on the free Basic plan (US clients paying by bank account may qualify for the lower rate), or 8–10% on the Business Plus plan. On the Basic plan there is also a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99 to $14.99 for each new contract, depending on the contract type and your account history. Business Plus charges the initiation fee only on fixed-price contracts under $100.
Worked example
| Job price | Fiverr total | Upwork total (Basic, 5%) |
|---|---|---|
| $100 bug fix | $109.00 ($5.50 + $3.50) | $105.99–$119.99 ($5 + $0.99–$14.99) |
| $300 simple site | $316.50 ($16.50) | $315.99–$329.99 ($15 + $0.99–$14.99) |
| $1,000 business site | $1,055.00 ($55) | $1,050.99–$1,064.99 ($50 + $0.99–$14.99) |
Bottom line: the fees are close. Fees alone shouldn’t decide it — how you want to hire should. (Sales tax or VAT, where it applies, comes on top on both platforms.)
How Hiring Works on Each Platform
Fiverr: buy a package
On Fiverr, freelancers list “gigs” — services with a description, delivery time and usually three packages at different prices. You pick one, add extras if you need them, and pay up front. Some freelancers ask you to send a request to order first, and many will send a custom offer if your project doesn’t fit a package. Fiverr also supports milestone orders for larger jobs, and has a vetted Fiverr Pro tier if you want hand-checked freelancers.
This works well when you can describe the job in one or two sentences: “install and set up this theme”, “build a one-page site from my logo and text”, “fix this plugin error”. Fiverr’s own figures put landing page design at around $35 per job, WordPress customization at about $60, and maintenance or bug fixes at $20–$64.
Upwork: post a job and choose from proposals
On Upwork you usually post a job describing what you need. Freelancers send proposals with their rate and approach, you interview the ones you like, and then make an offer. You can pay hourly or fixed-price, with fixed-price contracts split into milestones that you approve as work is delivered. You can also browse profiles and invite freelancers directly.
Upwork’s own guide puts WordPress developers at $15–$28 per hour, a landing page or simple site at $300–$1,000, a multi-page business website at $1,000–$3,000 and a WooCommerce store at $2,500–$8,000. That suits projects where the scope needs a conversation first.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Fiverr if…
- the job is small and you can describe it clearly
- you want to know the full price before you start
- you’d rather pick a package than review proposals
- you need something done quickly (delivery times are shown on each gig)
Choose Upwork if…
- the project is bigger, custom or not fully defined yet
- you want several freelancers to propose an approach and price
- you expect ongoing work, such as monthly maintenance
- you prefer hourly billing or paying per milestone
Before You Hire: 7 Things to Get Right
Whichever platform you use, these steps protect you and make the project cheaper:
- Buy the hosting and domain in your own name. Don’t let the freelancer own the account your site lives on. Our hosting cost calculator shows what you’ll pay after the first year.
- Give them their own login. Create a separate WordPress admin user for the freelancer instead of sharing your password, and delete it when the job is done.
- Write down the scope. Number of pages, which theme or page builder, contact form, mobile check — in the order or the job post, before you pay.
- Keep paid licenses in your name. If the site needs a premium theme or plugin, buy it on your account so updates don’t stop when the freelancer leaves.
- Look at live work, not just screenshots. Ask for links to WordPress sites they built and check them on your phone.
- Agree on revisions and hand-over. How many rounds of changes are included, and will they show you how to edit your own pages?
- Take a backup before and after. Most hosts include backups; make sure one exists before anyone starts changing things.
Not sure you need to hire at all? A simple site is very doable yourself — see our step-by-step guide on how to start a website, or compare the best free website builders if you’d rather skip WordPress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fiverr or Upwork cheaper for a WordPress website?
The platform fees are similar: Fiverr adds 5.5% plus $3.50 on orders under $200, and Upwork’s Basic plan adds 3–5% plus a one-time contract fee of $0.99–$14.99. What changes the cost is the freelancer’s price. Fiverr’s published average for a WordPress development job is about $238, while Upwork’s guide puts a simple site at $300–$1,000.
How much does it cost to hire someone to build a WordPress site?
For a simple site, expect a few hundred dollars plus the platform fee: Upwork’s guide gives $300–$1,000 for a landing page or simple site and $1,000–$3,000 for a multi-page business site. Hosting, domain and any premium theme or plugin licenses are extra and usually paid by you.
Do I pay Fiverr or Upwork fees on top of the freelancer’s price?
Yes. Both show the client fee at checkout. On Fiverr it’s 5.5% of the order plus $3.50 for orders under $200. On Upwork’s Basic plan it’s a 3% or 5% marketplace fee plus a one-time contract initiation fee of $0.99–$14.99. Freelancers also pay their own fees, which come out of their side.
Can I hire for ongoing WordPress maintenance?
Yes, on both. Upwork suits ongoing work well because you can keep one contract open and pay hourly or per milestone; its guide lists maintenance at $500–$2,000 per project. On Fiverr, maintenance and bug-fix jobs average $20–$64 each, and some freelancers offer monthly packages.
Should I give a freelancer my WordPress password?
No. Create a separate administrator account for them, and remove it when the work is finished. Keep the hosting, domain and any paid licenses in your own name.